New chemo drug could mean fewer shots for kids with leukemia

NCT ID NCT01574274

Ongoing Disease control Sponsor: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jul 29, 2026 · Updated 3 times

Summary

This study compares two forms of the chemotherapy drug asparaginase in 240 children and teens with acute lymphoblastic leukemia or lymphoblastic lymphoma. One drug (Oncaspar) is given every 2 weeks, while the new drug (SC-PEG) is given every 3 weeks and may last longer in the blood. The study also looks at whether adjusting treatment based on minimal residual disease can improve cure rates, and whether giving antibiotics early can prevent serious infections.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: Calaspargase pegol (SC-PEG) and Oncaspar (both forms of the chemotherapy drug asparaginase)
What this could lead to: If it works, this could lead to a more convenient dosing schedule (every 3 weeks instead of every 2 weeks) with similar safety and effectiveness for children with ALL or lymphoblastic lymphoma.
What could go wrong: This is a Phase 2 trial, so results are still early. The new drug may not prove as safe or effective as the standard, and the study also tests changes in therapy based on minimal residual disease, which is not yet proven to improve cure rates.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

acute lymphoblastic leukemia lymphoblastic lymphoma Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA LYMPHOBLASTIC LYMPHOMA

Contacts and locations

Locations

Centre Hospitalier U. de Quebec

Québec, Quebec, Canada
Children's Hospital Boston

Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, United States
Columbia University Medical Center, Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New York-Presbyterian

New York, New York, 10032, United States
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, United States
Hasbro Children's Hospital

Providence, Rhode Island, 02903, United States
Hospital Sainte Justine, University of Montreal

Montreal, Quebec, Canada
McMaster University

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Montefiore Medical Center

New York, New York, 10467, United States

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